Tengku Zafrul quits as Selangor Umno treasurer

 

Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has announced his resignation as the Selangor Umno treasurer.

In a statement on his Facebook page, the investment, trade and industry minister said the Selangor Umno chapter has sometimes gone astray from the aspirations of the party’s central leadership.

“I have witnessed firsthand how the Umno president (Ahmad Zahid Hamidi) and the national leadership continuously chart a path for the party’s revival at the federal level.

“However, no matter how great the central planning is, the implementation happens at the state and lower levels.

“I cannot comment on other states, but for my state of Selangor, the implementation has been insipid and at times not aligned with the central theme,” he said.

As such, he said if he can’t bring about positive change, then it would be better for him to resign and make way for a better candidate.

He said his resignation was effective immediately.

However, he said he would maintain his post as Kota Raja Umno division chief and as an appointed supreme council member.

‘Party must boost presence in Selangor’

Zafrul was appointed as Selangor Umno treasurer in April 2023.

At the time, critics had questioned Zafrul’s appointment, who was then the finance minister.

This included criticism that he had abused his Finance Ministry portfolio to “adopt” Kuala Selangor, a seat he would go on to contest unsuccessfully in that year’s general election.

In his parting message today, Zafrul stressed that it was important for Umno to improve its presence in Selangor.

“Among others, the offer to Selangor voters must be comprehensively built - tested and reviewed with stakeholders.

“Cooperation with other parties must be strengthened, not weakened by the assumption that Umno’s problem lies in its relationship with other parties, especially since that relationship already exists at the central level,” he added.

Umno and BN lost control of Selangor in 2008, and its support in the state has continued to decline since.

In last year’s state election, BN - which was in partnership with Pakatan Harapan - won only two out of the 12 seats it contested, with Perikatan Nasional capturing much of the Umno’s conservative Malay vote bank.